Why is rooting such a big deal to companies?

Root is a part of Android, Google doesn't have a problem with it, pretty much every employee at Verizon has a rooted phone, so why is it such a big deal and why do they keep trying to block it. Yes I understand it can be bad for the phone and it ruins your warranty but why cant they just make life easy and give us the option to agree on termination of warranty if we click "Root my phone" button. I really don't get why its not an option, beside from the fact that some companies can lose money with things like tethering. I still believe it should be an option inside the Android OS to unlock root without having to "hack" it. Any other opinions?

Aside from issues like tethering, it seems to me that it's a support issue. Even if there was a termination of warranty agreement, people would still call, and email and chat with support when rooting bricked their phone or other problems arose.

The carriers are trying to simply things as much as they can. Rooting is just one more thing to worry about (did a user accidentally delete a critical file or directory?) Right now, people who root (but definitely not all - lol) are largely self-supporting. If the carriers open it up as an official feature of the OS, they are risking higher support costs.

Don't assume I'm saying that the carriers have *good* support; you can find a good support person, but that seems to me to be the exception. I'm just saying that the carriers fear their support costs might go up.

I am inclined not to believe that it has anything to do with service and support. I do however believe that with rooting and jailbreaking it opens the educated user up to additional functionality that could be circumvented thus costing them money. So at end, it's all about money.

I have a Nexus One, and of course its rooted, but with a rooted version of the N1 you could tether before Froyo was even available. At the moment Tmobile hasn't added a charge to it, but I am certain that depending of the usage and data rates that could change too.

I saw an article about the new firmware update for the iPhone and how they are closing the loophole which allows you to jailbreak the iPhone, and it bothers me to no end. If I purchase the phone, I should be able to do with it what I want with the understanding that if something happens, it is on me.

Apple started and was founded on the notion that they could make the PC better, but it was that sense of intrigue that motivated them to crack open a device predating 1976, that spirit still lives in people who want to test the limits of there skill, knowledge and ability. That shouldn't be withheld from them.

Release the source and kernel code, and let the legitimate not "hackers" because of the negative connotations associated with the term "hacker" but the legitimate computer science enthusiast go for broke. (No pun intended)

What Steve? Afraid some of these guys might show your $250,000.00 plus a year coders up?

I am inclined not to believe that it has anything to do with service and support. I do however believe that with rooting and jailbreaking it opens the educated user up to additional functionality that could be circumvented thus costing them money. So at end, it's all about money.

I have a Nexus One, and of course its rooted, but with a rooted version of the N1 you could tether before Froyo was even available. At the moment Tmobile hasn't added a charge to it, but I am certain that depending of the usage and data rates that could change too.

I saw an article about the new firmware update for the iPhone and how they are closing the loophole which allows you to jailbreak the iPhone, and it bothers me to no end. If I purchase the phone, I should be able to do with it what I want with the understanding that if something happens, it is on me.

Apple started and was founded on the notion that they could make the PC better, but it was that sense of intrigue that motivated them to crack open a device predating 1976, that spirit still lives in people who want to test the limits of there skill, knowledge and ability. That shouldn't be withheld from them.

Release the source and kernel code, and let the legitimate not "hackers" because of the negative connotations associated with the term "hacker" but the legitimate computer science enthusiast go for broke. (No pun intended)

What Steve? Afraid some of these guys might show your $250,000.00 plus a year coders up?

I am inclined not to believe that it has anything to do with service and support. I do however believe that with rooting and jailbreaking it opens the educated user up to additional functionality that could be circumvented thus costing them money. So at end, it's all about money.

I have a Nexus One, and of course its rooted, but with a rooted version of the N1 you could tether before Froyo was even available. At the moment Tmobile hasn't added a charge to it, but I am certain that depending of the usage and data rates that could change too.

I saw an article about the new firmware update for the iPhone and how they are closing the loophole which allows you to jailbreak the iPhone, and it bothers me to no end. If I purchase the phone, I should be able to do with it what I want with the understanding that if something happens, it is on me.

Apple started and was founded on the notion that they could make the PC better, but it was that sense of intrigue that motivated them to crack open a device predating 1976, that spirit still lives in people who want to test the limits of there skill, knowledge and ability. That shouldn't be withheld from them.

Release the source and kernel code, and let the legitimate not "hackers" because of the negative connotations associated with the term "hacker" but the legitimate computer science enthusiast go for broke. (No pun intended)

What Steve? Afraid some of these guys might show your $250,000.00 plus a year coders up?

All of the above (or below, depending how you have your preferences set )

Support costs would definitely be an issue with manufacturers. Anyone who has ever worked in a support related capacity knows that users with problems = $ and users with a sense of entitlement and problems = $$$$$$$$$$$$. By allowing users to root, it opens up the probability for those button pushing neophytes will be calling sooner than later. I would also venture a guess that if the permitted rooting, then they couldn't negate the warranty if you did, even with a disclaimer. By prohibiting it, they are somewhat off the hook, although there will always be those users who misrepresent the facts. Look at all the phones that come back for repair that have never been dropped in a pool or run through a washer with their moisture sensors magically triggered.

Let's not forget also that the telecoms are paid to have apps placed on their subsidized devices and rooting would enable the users to delete them. It would negatively impact their revenue stream both by losing some of those subsidies as well as users finding free alternatives for the pay services. AT&T's navigator vs. Google's comes to mind.

Look at it this way ... if you bought a stock Mustang and then modified the engine for stock car racing, you wouldn't expect the dealer to fix it under warranty if you blew the engine, but people would bring back a rooted & bricked phone and expect repair or replacement.

At the end of the day is about the money. It simply costs retailers and manufacturers less (and makes them more money) to lock you into a contract for a device whose environment is also locked. This means that they can contract out bundled apps, and support costs are less for them. It also allows them to make distinct home replacement skins which they hope become a device selling point in and off themselves.

If you root a device, you can alter these things and remove the content and controls manufacturers put in place, thus depriving them (or their customers) of some of the incentives they had to package the phone as they did.

On the flip side a locked environment also allows manufacturers and/or retailers to test a platform and ensures that it works as desired when sold to users. This, for example, is a major part of the appeal of all apple products. You might not care for their environment, but their products just work and do so very well, right out of the box.

Such is not necessarily the case for more open platforms. While tech oriented people appreciate the flexibility and accept the potential drawbacks as part and parcel, a great many regular users prefer the stable functionality and ave no problem loosing some of the flexibility.

I had Verizon tech support say "too bad" to me a lot, I'm sure they could do it with this, money is the big issue here, Google personally does not care of you root the N1 because its a company based on popularity.

I am inclined not to believe that it has anything to do with service and support. I do however believe that with rooting and jailbreaking it opens the educated user up to additional functionality that could be circumvented thus costing them money. So at end, it's all about money.

I have a Nexus One, and of course its rooted, but with a rooted version of the N1 you could tether before Froyo was even available. At the moment Tmobile hasn't added a charge to it, but I am certain that depending of the usage and data rates that could change too.

I saw an article about the new firmware update for the iPhone and how they are closing the loophole which allows you to jailbreak the iPhone, and it bothers me to no end. If I purchase the phone, I should be able to do with it what I want with the understanding that if something happens, it is on me.

Apple started and was founded on the notion that they could make the PC better, but it was that sense of intrigue that motivated them to crack open a device predating 1976, that spirit still lives in people who want to test the limits of there skill, knowledge and ability. That shouldn't be withheld from them.

Release the source and kernel code, and let the legitimate not "hackers" because of the negative connotations associated with the term "hacker" but the legitimate computer science enthusiast go for broke. (No pun intended)

What Steve? Afraid some of these guys might show your $250,000.00 plus a year coders up?

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Very well said. Its capitalism at its best but apple is turing into a tyrannical communist empire.

I'm a mechanic for Mercedes so I can see where a manufacturer would want to protect their bottom line when it comes to replacement of free handsets under warranty due to customer neglegence.

If a customer wants to bolt a supercharger up to their car, so be it. Just don't come in with a warranty claim after you throw a rod and say that it was a factory defect. But at the same time, a manufacturer cannot take that option away from us.

The ability to modify and custom is what seperates us and makes us individuals. If Jobs is trying to take out that ability all together, than all he wants is a lemming-minded society that cannot think, act, or decide for themselves.

Edit: that being said, some people need somebody else telling them whats good for them

everyone seems to think everyone thinks the same as "if I brick it, it's on me"

Problem is, people in general, don't think that way. How many times on here do we hear about people screwing up their phones through what is CLEARLY negligence, (putting batteries in upside down, dropping them, etc) then getting upset when warranty is denied?

People will try to root their phones, then brick them, then try and get it warrantied under the premise of "well, you should make a statement that says you don't support this if you won't cover it under warranty"

Money. How many Droid 1 owners would still have their phones if there was not root or roms? I.e. they all would have upgraded by now to new phones, $$$ to VZW. Insted, those older models are still useful and powerful enough to use for a couple years due to root/rom flashing. Why buy a 1.2 ghz phone when you can overclock existing to the same?
Same analogy with cars used above, if you keep upgrading the engine, suspension, etc...why buy a new car?

Aside from issues like tethering, it seems to me that it's a support issue. Even if there was a termination of warranty agreement, people would still call, and email and chat with support when rooting bricked their phone or other problems arose.

The carriers are trying to simply things as much as they can. Rooting is just one more thing to worry about (did a user accidentally delete a critical file or directory?) Right now, people who root (but definitely not all - lol) are largely self-supporting. If the carriers open it up as an official feature of the OS, they are risking higher support costs.

Don't assume I'm saying that the carriers have *good* support; you can find a good support person, but that seems to me to be the exception. I'm just saying that the carriers fear their support costs might go up.

.02

jd

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I think this is a good explanation. Even if they don't support rooted phones they would still spend an incredible amount of time and money just to tell people that when they call in.

It's basic quality-control. If they're going to support they have the right to control what they're supporting. Rooting introduces too many unknown variables.

At the end of the day is about the money. It simply costs retailers and manufacturers less (and makes them more money) to lock you into a contract for a device whose environment is also locked. This means that they can contract out bundled apps, and support costs are less for them. It also allows them to make distinct home replacement skins which they hope become a device selling point in and off themselves.

If you root a device, you can alter these things and remove the content and controls manufacturers put in place, thus depriving them (or their customers) of some of the incentives they had to package the phone as they did.

On the flip side a locked environment also allows manufacturers and/or retailers to test a platform and ensures that it works as desired when sold to users. This, for example, is a major part of the appeal of all apple products. You might not care for their environment, but their products just work and do so very well, right out of the box.

Such is not necessarily the case for more open platforms. While tech oriented people appreciate the flexibility and accept the potential drawbacks as part and parcel, a great many regular users prefer the stable functionality and ave no problem loosing some of the flexibility.

Click to expand...

Bingo! Apple's tightly-locked-down platform is one of the major reasons for their success. The iPhone is reliable because there is less room for error.

I've rooted my MT3G and can do all sorts of cool shit but now Pandora and Navi keep dropping spontaneously.

Btw, does anyone know Tmo's official policy on rooting and warranties, or at least where I can track down that info?